Province of Alberta. The 27th Legislature Second Session. Alberta Hansard. Wednesday afternoon, November 25, Issue 63a

Transcription

1 Province of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Alberta Hansard Wednesday afternoon, November 25, 2009 Issue 63a The Honourable Kenneth R. Kowalski, Speaker

2 Legislative Assembly of Alberta The 27th Legislature Second Session Kowalski, Hon. Ken, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock, Speaker Cao, Wayne C.N., Calgary-Fort, Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees Mitzel, Len, Cypress-Medicine Hat, Deputy Chair of Committees Ady, Hon. Cindy, Calgary-Shaw (PC), Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Allred, Ken, St. Albert (PC) Amery, Moe, Calgary-East (PC) Anderson, Rob, Airdrie-Chestermere (PC) Benito, Carl, Edmonton-Mill Woods (PC) Berger, Evan, Livingstone-Macleod (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Sustainable Resource Development Bhardwaj, Naresh, Edmonton-Ellerslie (PC) Bhullar, Manmeet Singh, Calgary-Montrose (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Advanced Education and Technology Blackett, Hon. Lindsay, Calgary-North West (PC), Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Blakeman, Laurie, Edmonton-Centre (AL), Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition Official Opposition House Leader Boutilier, Guy C., Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo (Ind) Brown, Dr. Neil, QC, Calgary-Nose Hill (PC) Calahasen, Pearl, Lesser Slave Lake (PC) Campbell, Robin, West Yellowhead (PC), Deputy Government Whip Chase, Harry B., Calgary-Varsity (AL), Official Opposition Whip Dallas, Cal, Red Deer-South (PC) Danyluk, Hon. Ray, Lac La Biche-St. Paul (PC), Minister of Municipal Affairs DeLong, Alana, Calgary-Bow (PC) Denis, Jonathan, Calgary-Egmont (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Energy Doerksen, Arno, Strathmore-Brooks (PC) Drysdale, Wayne, Grande Prairie-Wapiti (PC) Elniski, Doug, Edmonton-Calder (PC) Evans, Hon. Iris, Sherwood Park (PC), Minister of Finance and Enterprise Fawcett, Kyle, Calgary-North Hill (PC) Forsyth, Heather, Calgary-Fish Creek (PC) Fritz, Hon. Yvonne, Calgary-Cross (PC), Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Goudreau, Hon. Hector G., Dunvegan-Central Peace (PC), Minister of Employment and Immigration, Deputy Government House Leader Griffiths, Doug, Battle River-Wainwright (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Solicitor General and Public Security Groeneveld, Hon. George, Highwood (PC), Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hancock, Hon. Dave, QC, Edmonton-Whitemud (PC), Minister of Education, Government House Leader Hayden, Hon. Jack, Drumheller-Stettler (PC), Minister of Infrastructure Hehr, Kent, Calgary-Buffalo (AL) Hinman, Paul, Calgary-Glenmore (WA) Horne, Fred, Edmonton-Rutherford (PC) Horner, Hon. Doug, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert (PC), Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Jablonski, Hon. Mary Anne, Red Deer-North (PC), Minister of Seniors and Community Supports Jacobs, Broyce, Cardston-Taber-Warner (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Agriculture and Rural Development Johnson, Jeff, Athabasca-Redwater (PC) Johnston, Art, Calgary-Hays (PC) Kang, Darshan S., Calgary-McCall (AL) Klimchuk, Hon. Heather, Edmonton-Glenora (PC), Minister of Service Alberta Knight, Hon. Mel, Grande Prairie-Smoky (PC), Minister of Energy Leskiw, Genia, Bonnyville-Cold Lake (PC) Liepert, Hon. Ron, Calgary-West (PC), Minister of Health and Wellness Lindsay, Hon. Fred, Stony Plain (PC), Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security Lukaszuk, Thomas A., Edmonton-Castle Downs (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Municipal Affairs Lund, Ty, Rocky Mountain House (PC) MacDonald, Hugh, Edmonton-Gold Bar (AL) Marz, Richard, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills (PC) Mason, Brian, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (NDP), Leader of the NDP Opposition McFarland, Barry, Little Bow (PC) McQueen, Diana, Drayton Valley-Calmar (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Environment Morton, Hon. F.L., Foothills-Rocky View (PC), Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Notley, Rachel, Edmonton-Strathcona (NDP), Deputy Leader of the NDP Opposition, NDP Opposition House Leader Oberle, Frank, Peace River (PC), Government Whip Olson, Verlyn, QC, Wetaskiwin-Camrose (PC) Ouellette, Hon. Luke, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake (PC), Minister of Transportation Pastoor, Bridget Brennan, Lethbridge-East (AL), Deputy Official Opposition Whip Prins, Ray, Lacombe-Ponoka (PC) Quest, Dave, Strathcona (PC) Redford, Hon. Alison M., QC, Calgary-Elbow (PC), Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Deputy Government House Leader Renner, Hon. Rob, Medicine Hat (PC), Minister of Environment, Deputy Government House Leader Rodney, Dave, Calgary-Lougheed (PC) Rogers, George, Leduc-Beaumont-Devon (PC) Sandhu, Peter, Edmonton-Manning (PC) Sarich, Janice, Edmonton-Decore (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Education Sherman, Dr. Raj, Edmonton-Meadowlark (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Health and Wellness Snelgrove, Hon. Lloyd, Vermilion-Lloydminster (PC), President of the Treasury Board Stelmach, Hon. Ed, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville (PC), Premier, President of Executive Council Swann, Dr. David, Calgary-Mountain View (AL), Leader of the Official Opposition Taft, Dr. Kevin, Edmonton-Riverview (AL) Tarchuk, Hon. Janis, Banff-Cochrane (PC), Minister of Children and Youth Services Taylor, Dave, Calgary-Currie (AL) VanderBurg, George, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne (PC) Vandermeer, Tony, Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview (PC) Weadick, Greg, Lethbridge-West (PC) Webber, Len, Calgary-Foothills (PC), Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations Woo-Paw, Teresa, Calgary-Mackay (PC) Xiao, David H., Edmonton-McClung (PC), Parliamentary Assistant, Employment and Immigration Zwozdesky, Hon. Gene, Edmonton-Mill Creek (PC), Minister of Aboriginal Relations, Deputy Government House Leader Clerk Clerk Assistant/ Director of House Services Clerk of Journals/Table Research Senior Parliamentary Counsel Officers and Officials of the Legislative Assembly W.J. David McNeil Senior Parliamentary Counsel Sergeant-at-Arms Louise J. Kamuchik Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Micheline S. Gravel Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Robert H. Reynolds, QC Managing Editor of Alberta Hansard Shannon Dean Brian G. Hodgson J. Ed Richard Gordon H. Munk Liz Sim

3 November 25, 2009 Alberta Hansard 2033 Legislative Assembly of Alberta Title: Wednesday, November 25, :30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 25, 2009 [The Speaker in the chair] head: Prayers The Speaker: Good afternoon. Let us pray. Author of all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, we ask for guidance in order that truth and justice may prevail in all of our judgments. Amen. Please be seated. head: Introduction of Visitors The Speaker: Hon. members, the procession was led today for the last time by Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Ed Richard. Mr. Richard will be retiring following this session. Prior to serving the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Richard spent 32 years with the Edmonton Police Service. Upon his retirement as staff sergeant in 1997 he joined the Legislative Assembly security service. In November of 1999 he was appointed to the position of Assistant Sergeant-at- Arms. On behalf of all members I would like to express appreciation for Mr. Richard s committed service to this House and wish him the very best in his retirement. Joining us today in the Speaker s gallery are many of Ed s family and friends, including his wife of 41 years, Jane Richard, his children, and five of his seven grandchildren. I would now ask all of them to rise, including the distinguished Assistant Sergeant-at- Arms, to receive once again the warm welcome of this Assembly. [Standing ovation] Hon. members, that was a very, very nice acknowledgement of Mr. Richard s very dedicated service. Thank you. Also in the Speaker s gallery today is a former Member of the Legislative Assembly, the former Member for Edmonton-Manning, who served in the 26th Legislature, Mr. Dan Backs. We ask him to rise. head: Introduction of Guests The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. Mr. Horner: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It s indeed a pleasure for me to rise and introduce to you and through you to all members of the House 80 visitors to both galleries. These are visitors from Muriel Martin school in St. Albert. They are a hugely curious group of young people who certainly have assured the future of our province. They are accompanied by teachers Mrs. Jody Bialowas, Mrs. Katie Boyd, Mr. Rick Lof, Mlle Danielle Jean; parent helpers Mrs. Michelle Borrett, Mrs. Leanne Svenson, Mr. Bill Nelson, Mme Yolande Pejot, Mrs. Debbie Anderson, and Mrs. Tana Farrell. I believe, as I said, they re in both galleries. I would ask that they now rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of our Legislature. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Rutherford. Mr. Horne: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It s my pleasure to introduce to you and through you today to all members 49 very distinguished students from Keheewin elementary school in my constituency of Edmonton-Rutherford. I believe they are also seated in both the members and public galleries. They are accompanied today by teachers Mrs. Renie Wolodko, Mr. Mark Leenders, Miss Mona Kamar and by parents Mrs. Lisa Severin, Ms Cheryl Hartshorne, and Mrs. Christa Winters. I d ask the students to rise and receive our traditional warm welcome. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Livingstone-Macleod. Mr. Berger: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to rise today to introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly a fine group of southern Albertans. They are here today to show their overwhelming support for the future Alberta police and peace officer training college at Fort Macleod and to attend a meeting arranged at my request with the Solicitor General and Finance minister. This project is of great significance to southern Alberta as you will see by the group of esteemed individuals I m about to introduce. I would now ask them to rise as I call their names: Mayor Shawn Patience, Fort Macleod; Sharon Monical, Christine Trowbridge, Brian Reach, and Gord Wolstenholme, councillors for the town of Fort Macleod. Gord s father, George Wolstenholme, was an MLA here for the constituency of Highwood from 1975 to Also, we have Jordan No Chief, councillor of Piikani Nation; Mayor Rob Steel, town of Claresholm; Mayor John Irwin, Crowsnest Pass; Mayor Barry Johnson, town of Stavely; Mayor Melva Stinson, town of Granum; Mayor Dennis Cassie, Coalhurst; Henry Van Hierden, reeve of the MD of Willow Creek; and support staff Barry Elliott, Fort Macleod, and Martin Ebel, economic development, Fort Macleod. Also in the gallery we have Tracy Edwards, president of Lethbridge Community College. I think I have them all. Please give them the resounding welcome of this Assembly. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Ellerslie. Mr. Bhardwaj: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It s my honour to rise today and introduce to you and through you Edmonton s own Juventus U14 soccer team, who recently won the Canadian national championships for U14 boys soccer. Congratulations to the players and coaches Kurt Bosch, Rob Mosele, Tony Mayall, and Richard Harris on this tremendous accomplishment. As a former coach for the Juventus Soccer Club I know first-hand how much time and hard work goes into coaching. Your dedication to these kids is greatly appreciated, and it is nice to see that hard work being paid off with the national championships. We have parents and other coaches in both galleries. I d ask all of my guests to please rise and receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I m very pleased to introduce to you today and through you to all members of the Assembly two people who are very important, integral, in fact, to the operations of HIV Edmonton. They, of course, are responsible for the cards and the red AIDS ribbons that you received on your desks today. I would ask James Mabey to please rise. James is one of our emerging leaders, our up-and-comers in Edmonton, and was recognized as one of the Top 40 under 40. He s the vice-chair of HIV Edmonton. With him today is John Gee. John Gee will be a familiar face to this Assembly because for a number of years he supported my predecessor, Michael Henry, running the Edmonton- Centre constituency office. John has given a great deal of time as a volunteer and as a staff member for various inner-city agencies and is currently the operations co-ordinator for HIV Edmonton. Please welcome these two gentlemen to the Assembly.

4 2034 Alberta Hansard November 25, 2009 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Grande Prairie-Wapiti. Mr. Drysdale: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to introduce to you and through you to members of this Assembly an outstanding Albertan from the Grande Prairie-Wapiti constituency, Mr. Andre Harpe. Andre is very active in the constituency and has served on several community and provincial boards. We had a full house today, so I hope Mr. Harpe is seated in the members gallery. I can t see him behind me, but I would ask that he please rise and receive the warm welcome of this Assembly. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood. Mr. Mason: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I m pleased to introduce to you and through you to the Assembly Jiravej Sireelert, a grade 11 exchange student from Chang Mai in Thailand. Jiravej, also known here as Kevin, is currently attending Archbishop MacDonald high school and was sponsored as a Rotary exchange student by the Rotary Club in Thailand and is being hosted by the Rotary Club of Edmonton Northeast. Jiravej is spending an entire year here in Canada as part of the Rotary exchange program, and he s accompanied today by a member of the hosting Rotary Club, Karin Olson, who also is my wife. I would now ask that my guests, who are seated in the public gallery, rise to receive the traditional warm welcome from this Assembly. 1:40 The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Ms Notley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I m pleased to rise and introduce to you and through you to the Assembly members from the Camrose green energy action team. The team members take a political action approach to sustainable energy issues. The group collected signatures on a petition, which I will be tabling later today, asking this Assembly to reject nuclear power in this province. I would now ask that my guests, Denise Dufresne and Ellen Parker, who are seated in the public gallery, rise to receive the traditional warm welcome from this Assembly. head: Members Statements The Speaker: The hon. Member for Drayton Valley-Calmar. Climate Change Mrs. McQueen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we are all aware, there is a significant climate change milestone approaching. Alberta will be part of the Canadian delegation attending the December climate change summit in Copenhagen. This is an important opportunity for Alberta to share its perspective on reducing emissions while maintaining a strong economy. It is a time to share details about our ongoing work to address climate change and our renewed commitments moving forward. Alberta continues to take action now to reduce greenhouse gases while planning for a clean energy future. We are a global energy supplier with a commitment to responsible development. Alberta s most well-known investment is our unprecedented $2 billion commitment to carbon capture and storage, but this is only part of the picture. Another example is Alberta s Ecotrust projects. Alberta s Ecotrust projects are technology-based projects that tackle climate change and clean air. We have already announced two Ecotrust projects. On October 1 the province distributed $7.45 million so that waste energy from Edmonton could be transferred to 1,600 homes in Strathcona county. On October 14 I had the tremendous pleasure of announcing a second Ecotrust investment of $20 million to support the creation of the Drayton Valley Energy Campus. These are innovative projects that will help move Alberta towards a clean energy future, and I m excited to say that there are more Ecotrust grant announcements yet to come. Mr. Speaker, significant progress can be made and will be made in tackling climate change through deliberate, meaningful, and ongoing investments. Thank you. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. AIDS Awareness Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. AIDS Awareness Week started November 23 and culminates on December 1, World AIDS Day. In honour of this and with the kind permission and assistance of the Speaker you have each received a red ribbon symbolizing the fight against AIDS. Please wear it to signal your support of the campaign to increase awareness, provide support and help, and advocate for those living with AIDS. On the same card is the pin for HIV Edmonton, which is embarking on a campaign to celebrate 25 years since its inception in Last week I attended a wonderful event honouring Edmonton s Michael Phair and the few individuals who gathered around his kitchen table to develop a plan to deal with the arrival in Edmonton of the first public case of AIDS. Michael did a retrospective of how AIDS affected Edmonton, what steps were taken, how networks were built, even the toll that the constant death of friends had on those very activists. It was a subtle reminder that we have come a long way and that we still have a way to go. For their 25th anniversary campaign HIV Edmonton has planned a legacy garden, a coffee-table book to commemorate the champions of the HIV/AIDS movement in Edmonton, and a gala. I look forward to celebrating with you. AIDS started out affecting what we thought was one specific group and now kills people from every walk of life. It particularly preys on the vulnerable, but no one is safe unless they take the precautions. For this year HIV Edmonton is working with Starbucks on a World AIDS Day fundraiser, so please consider getting your coffee from them next Tuesday, December 1. As well, there is a vigil at the Citadel Theatre on December 1, and events are also planned for Calgary and elsewhere across Alberta. Please support AIDS research. Congratulations to HIV Edmonton on 25 years of support for that community. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Calder. Movember Movement Mr. Elniski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During the month of November thousands of men and women world-wide raise awareness about the risks men face in terms of prostate cancer, thereby seeking to increase early detection, diagnosis, and effective treatment. This movement is referred to as Movember and takes place in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and in Canada. Created in Australia, Movember was inspired by the women s health movement and the idea that men were lacking a way to actively engage themselves in their own health. The rules of Movember are simple: men grow moustaches, women wear fake ones, no one can shave from the 1st to the 30th of the month, and

5 November 25, 2009 Alberta Hansard 2035 everyone works together to raise money to change the face of men s health. Mr. Speaker, this is an incredible cause, that I stood for right away. Movember is in its sixth consecutive year and has raised over $60 million for prostate cancer. I am a member of the LAO Team Mo, and to date my team has raised $590 for this cause, a number which we hope to double in the final days of this month. Indeed, on Saturday I will be auctioning off my moustache to raise further funds for this cause. If you d like some information on how to get involved with that, please come and see me later. To learn more about Movember and to donate to the LAO Team Mo and the fine moustaches like mine across Canada, please visit Thank you. The Speaker: I take it that if one were to use tweezers and individually pluck out the whiskers, there would be double value, right? The hon. Member for Edmonton-McClung. Violence against Women Mr. Xiao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On November 25, 1960, Rafael Trujillo, then the dictator of the Dominican Republic, ordered the assassination of three female political activists known as the Mirabal sisters. Their deaths united a nation against their oppressive dictator, who was overthrown the following year. In commemoration of the sacrifice of these three sisters the United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Today also marks the launch of the White Ribbon Campaign, supported by more than 55 countries, to raise awareness of the need to end violence against women. In Canada the campaign runs until December 6, Canada s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Mr. Speaker, acts of violence against women impact Albertans of all backgrounds, cultures, and faiths and often go unnoticed and unreported. As elected members we must continue to work to ensure greater understanding of and education on these issues. It is an undertaking I know we can achieve because Alberta has a strong tradition of advocating for women s rights. It was five courageous women from Alberta who advocated for women s right to vote, and three of those distinguished women served in this Legislature. I am proud to serve as the MLA for a constituency that bears the name of one of those women, Nellie McClung. Mr. Speaker, let us recommit ourselves today to continue to fight for a society free of violence against women. Thank you. head: Oral Question Period The Speaker: First Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Agriculture Supply Management Sponsors Dr. Swann: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. For the last week this government has dodged the issue of government-directed organizations funding Conservative Party events. The refusal to even acknowledge how improper this type of sponsorship is reveals just how arrogant this government has become. Here s the issue. The minister of agriculture appoints the board that oversees Alberta Milk. Alberta Milk gives the minister s political party contributions. Now, to the minister: how is this appropriate? 1:50 The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Groeneveld: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I can answer that question quite adequately. Since the hon. Member for Lethbridge-East has brought this up the last couple of days, I m a little bit curious myself to see how that operation works. These grants are for specific purposes with measurable outcomes that also require financial documentation. They are not association funding. The association applies for the grant, but the industry benefits. The government of Alberta does not give these people any operational money. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, to the Premier, then. Your minister appoints the board that oversees Alberta Milk. That organization gives money to your political party. Is this appropriate? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the boards are elected from the membership of the milk producers. The government does not appoint the milk producers board, the egg producers board, the turkey producers board, the chicken producers board. These are all boards in supply management, and they are elected from within their membership. Dr. Swann: Mr. Speaker, this government is clearly out of touch with the people of Alberta and the ethical stance of most Albertans. This government has just cut education, cut health care, cut core public services but isn t at all concerned about government organizations funding political parties. Why are your priorities so backwards, Mr. Premier? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, first of all, these are not government organizations. These are producer groups, and it s their money. Secondly, again, he keeps raising this issue of cuts to budgets. May I again remind the opposition that last year s budget in health was increased by $550 million? This is not a cut; it s an increase. As I said yesterday, we re working, looking at how much to increase the health budget for next year. There are no cuts to the budget, so again the information is wrong. The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Education Funding Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the government considering massive cuts, stakeholder groups have been speaking out for public education, only to receive a scolding by the Minister of Education. But teachers, school trustees, and parents are not to blame. They re not to blame for creating a climate of fear around education. The actions of the minister are creating a climate of fear. To the Premier. School boards and trustees are fighting for our children s education. This is commendable. Why is the government chastising them? Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, I don t believe the government is chastising anybody. The Minister of Education yesterday indicated that we have the most robust prebudget consultation that has ever happened with school boards in this province leading up to a new budget. What I said to the school board trustees yesterday and what I said to the ATA before is that it would be preferable if they

6 2036 Alberta Hansard November 25, 2009 engaged in a more positive way to engage the public positively about education. I have never used numbers in the discussion in terms of budget cuts. That is a number that the ATA made up and is using for their advertising process. All I m saying is that I don t need 10,000 of exactly the same to tell me that people care about education in this province. People do care about education in this province. Dr. Swann: Well, Mr. Speaker, no good deed goes unpunished. Unlike this government, school boards know how to balance their budgets. How can the Premier defend raiding the school boards savings and now threatening drastic cuts? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, school boards in the province of Alberta have accumulated roughly 400 and some million dollars worth of surpluses in their budgets. The minister has met with them and asked, as we proceed with budgeting for the next year, that we may have to go to them and ask them to use some of their surpluses that they have accumulated over the years and keep any reductions in staffing or anything out of the classroom. I think it s a very reasonable ask, and most school boards that I talked to thought it was a reasonable approach. Dr. Swann: Mr. Speaker, if the Alberta Teachers Association s estimate of $340 million in cuts is, quote, greatly exaggerated, as your minister has claimed, then Mr. Premier, why not simply level with Albertans by saying how much you re planning to cut? Mr. Hancock: Mr. Speaker, the budgeting process is an ongoing process. It hasn t come to a finite conclusion. It s totally imprudent, in my view and I think the school boards share this; we ve just spent all morning talking about how we go forward to start from numbers and figure out what you want to do. What you really need to do is start with: what are the outcomes that you want to achieve? Then apply the resources you have to make sure you achieve them. That s what school boards are engaged with me in doing. The Speaker: Third Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition. Mental Health Innovation Fund Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The minister of health reported a budget surplus of almost $350 million in the annual report for He also reported that almost $25 million of that surplus was from cutting from the mental health innovation fund. To the Premier: if mental health is such an important service to the Premier, how can he support a minister of health who made such cuts to the mental health innovation fund? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt about it that as we work through next year s budget in health, all of the areas will be looked at. This is one area, mental health, where we see an increase. It s something that perhaps people don t talk about a lot, and having met with a number of groups, including the minister of health, who has met with many, it is a scenario that we ll be looking at very closely to see how we can work through the challenges. Again, with our agencies that are out there, those support groups are putting together a good plan for next year. Dr. Swann: The mental health innovation fund is meant to enhance the development and delivery of mental health services in the community. How can the Premier deny that cutting the spending of this fund is directly at odds with his plan to close beds at Alberta Hospital Edmonton and shift them to the community? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I don t have the annual report in front of me, but I highly doubt that it said: we cut. What we have done as part of our amalgamation of the Mental Health Board, nine health regions, the Cancer Board, and AADAC is that there s been a consolidation of funds. It s as much an accounting measure as it is anything else. If the hon. member can produce a document that we produced that said that we ve cut, then I d ask him to produce it and table it in the Legislature. The Speaker: The hon. leader. Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, any money cut from mental health and addictions will just show up in housing, in children s services, Solicitor General, Justice, and other core programs. Does the Premier truly not see the connection between cost savings of properly funding mental health and addiction services? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I think the member was in the House when we did our budget estimates last year. In fact, we have significantly increased our funding to support the children s mental health strategy, that we announced last year. You know, the Leader of the Opposition can try and twist the figures whichever way he wants, but in fact our mental health funding has increased and not decreased. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Glenmore. Nursing Workforce Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. Alberta Health Services hatchetman Stephen Duckett has finally shed some light on this government s secret plan to cut the number of registered nurses working in Alberta hospitals. At a recent meeting senior nursing leaders and educators were told that there will be significant reductions in the numbers of registered nurses, accomplished by a hiring freeze and layoffs, and this is coming down the pipeline in Alberta hospitals. Fewer RNs will lead to increased patient mortality, increased hospital stays, and increased health care costs. My question is to the Premier. How can you support a policy that puts the lives of Albertans at risk by laying off nurses? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I think that we ve all been in this House long enough to know that this particular member consistently uses information that is suspect. I ll use that term. You know, we ve had his secret report by someone that we were going to be cutting longterm care beds. False. We have his secret report on mental health beds. False. Now we ve got another particular situation here that is inaccurate. I would suggest that maybe he check his facts. The Speaker: The hon. member. Mr. Mason: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. It s difficult with the most secretive government in Canada, but we get government reports that say what they re doing because they re sure not telling the people of Alberta what they re planning to do. You know, the truth in Alberta comes in a brown paper envelope because this government is so secretive. It s clear that layoffs of nurses are coming. This minister knows it, but he won t admit it. Why won t

7 November 25, 2009 Alberta Hansard 2037 the Premier stand up in his place and ask his health minister to tell what the plan really is for nursing in Alberta? Come on; let s have it. 2:00 Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, let me tell this member what the plan for nursing is in Alberta. You know, I have several meetings a year with the college of registered nurses, and every meeting they say that they want nurses to work more to their scope of training, their scope of practice. We want to make sure that nurses are part of the health care delivery system at the front end of the system, not the back end of the system. That s exactly what we re doing. I have another meeting next week with the same college, and it s my understanding that the college has been asked by Alberta Health Services because the particular documentation that the member refers to is actually incorrect, and they ll be adjusting that. Mr. Mason: Mr. Speaker, did senior officials of Alberta Health Services tell senior nursing educators and leaders that there would be layoffs among nurses or not? Does the minister know? If he doesn t know, why doesn t he know? Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I will say what I do know, and I will table in the House the NDP news release of earlier today. I ll ask all members to take a look at this particular release, which is entitled Duckett s Move to Cut RNs Puts Patients at Greater Risk of Death. Now, how responsible is that of that particular member to make that accusation? Government Spending Mr. Hinman: Mr. Speaker, this government had over eight months to prepare its last budget. With a projected deficit of $4.7 billion and plunging revenues, they did nothing. This government spent $25 million on a new slogan, gave over $40 million in bonuses to top management, ignoring front-line providers, and over $13 million in raises to the Premier s Executive Council, almost the same amount as the cuts being made to education. It would appear that patronage payments and slick ad campaigns are more important than core programs for Albertans such as education. [interjections] Will the Premier please explain the priority of his spending? Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I didn t quite hear the question because there was a little bit of a disturbance there, but I think he was talking about how we re working on next year s budget. Of course, for next year s budget we re ensuring that we will maintain the programs that Albertans endear, and those are health, education, supports for seniors, and of course we will build the infrastructure that s necessary as well. We re going to see 50,000 more Albertans move to this province, and we want to make sure that there is the school space and the hospital space available and any other needs that they may rely on government for. Mr. Hinman: Perhaps his caucus would give the Premier some respect so he could listen to the questions. Mr. Speaker, the current Executive Council and cabinet are failing Albertans in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan s conservative government is doing better. It is Grey Cup time, and Saskatchewan will be playing instead of Calgary. They will have their best talent on the field. Why doesn t this Premier have his best talent in cabinet and Executive Council? He has better. Will the Premier do the right thing and release his cabinet and Executive Council and appoint those with the best talent, experience, and competency, currently relegated to the backbenches, in place of his second-string cabinet ministers? Mr. Stelmach: I m not quite sure if there was a question in there or an oral statement. One thing, though, is that our two neighbouring provinces at the end of this year will be adding to their debt. This province will not be adding to the debt. We ll be using a cash surplus fund that we very wisely set up a number of years ago to help cushion the blow of the rapid drop of our revenue stream. Mr. Speaker, I know no other jurisdiction in the country of Canada or, indeed, in North America is in such a good fiscal position as the province of Alberta. Mr. Hinman: Well, Mr. Speaker, if one listens, one may learn. That wasn t an answer that was acceptable to Albertans. The exorbitant bonuses and wage increases were wrong and need to be returned to the taxpayers of Alberta. They are running a multibillion-dollar deficit at taxpayers expense. Will the Premier do the right thing: release his cabinet and Executive Council, and appoint new ministers and Executive Council members at the salary rates that were in place before the last election? Mr. Stelmach: Actually, there are a number of things in that statement that the member made. First of all, the bonuses that he was referring to: last March I said that those would come to an end. They were more a supplementary payment, I think, to deputies, to senior management within government. So that s about $44 million that will not occur this year. Also, between cabinet and the Premier s office we have taken a reduction in the remuneration to those positions. The other is that in terms of the overall government services we will ensure that we get the most value for dollar for every dollar that s spent on those services. We are going through a value review. All departments are pitching in. The Minister of Municipal Affairs has met with municipalities trying to narrow down the 77 different grants that there are and then 13 ministries down to one ministry and maybe four or five grants. Then, of course, when we talk about giving money back, I think the hon. member did receive a relocation allowance, and since he s back in the building, maybe he wants to give it back. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Lethbridge-East, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Hays. PDD Community Board Funding Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports said in this House that some community boards are making in-year adjustments to their service provider contracts in order to meet their budget targets for this year. To the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports: can the minister tell the vulnerable people who rely on PDD supports how much each community board must recoup from the service providers in the middle of this fiscal year to meet their budget goals? Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, first of all, it s important for me to tell you that, especially in these difficult economic times, supporting Albertans most in need is a priority of this government, and our commitment remains to assisting the most vulnerable Albertans. We continue to focus on supporting PDD clients with the resources available. Funding for the PDD program alone has more than doubled since 1999 while the number of individuals served has increased by about 21 per cent. As part of this, this year s budget

8 2038 Alberta Hansard November 25, 2009 includes an increase to address the increasing complexity of client needs and caseload growth. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It wasn t quite the answer I was looking for. How can the minister defend this adjustment read cut when it makes it impossible for service providers to plan long-term program goals, let alone short-term goals, when they are told to hand back money to the government in the middle of a fiscal year? Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, I m aware that some community boards are making the in-year adjustments to their service provider contracts in order to meet their budget targets for this year. This is a process that we re doing throughout our different departments. It s a regular part of our business. All community boards are expected to balance their budgets. As for next year our budget has not been finalized. As I said, like most government departments this is a process that we re in right now. We have increased the amount of money that has gone into our PDD budget. I want to remind everyone in this room that 95 per cent of our PDD clients also collect AISH benefits. That s another $704 million that this government puts out for our AISH clients on top of the $604 million that we put into PDD. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Partly answered my third question. If the minister is taking this action right now, in the middle of this fiscal year I realize that the budget is being discussed right now, but these service providers need the information now so that they can properly plan. Are there any plans to work on a three-year budget plan rather than year by year by year? These people don t know what s going on, and we are losing service providers to the vulnerable people in this province. Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, the way that we fund our service providers really hasn t changed over the years. I think that all of them are aware of the pressures that we are under. I visited a number of the service providers in the last 18 months, and I can tell you that we have some excellent service providers that are very innovative and creative. They ve been able to look at their own budgets and see where they can stretch those dollars so that we get the best outcomes possible for all of our PDD clients. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Hays, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Centre. 2:10 Municipal Accountability Mr. Johnston: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past spring I introduced Bill 202, the Municipal Government (Municipal Auditor General) Amendment Act, Issues raised with this bill were about accountability and transparency of municipalities. All of my questions are for the Minister of Municipal Affairs. What is the minister doing to ensure that municipalities are accountable and transparent? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Mr. Danyluk: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Albertans expect all levels of government, whether it be federal, provincial, or municipal, to be responsible and accountable with their tax dollars. I also want to emphasize that this is a priority for municipal leaders. What we have in place is the Municipal Government Act, that sets standards for financial reporting. We have the accountability framework, that is improving the reporting on grants, and more recently Bill 23, which improves assessment appeal systems. Ensuring that we have accountable municipalities is a priority for this government and also a priority for me. Mr. Johnston: My first supplemental to the same minister: what is the minister willing to do to ensure greater accountability and transparency in municipalities? Mr. Danyluk: Well, Mr. Speaker, there are some potential actions that we can take with the existing resources such as adopting cyclical municipal corporate reviews, requiring management letters to be made public, and developing a web portal to support better public access to information. A fourth is to ensure the independence of municipal auditors. There is no doubt that this process has sharpened our focus. Mr. Johnston: No more questions, Mr. Speaker. Domestic Violence Ms Blakeman: Mr. Speaker, continuing to take the same action and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. At this time we have more women who are assaulted in domestic situations than ever before. Fifty per cent, half, of those women who approach shelters have to be turned away. Understandably, women with children get first access to shelters and services, but it guarantees that women without children will be turned away. My questions are to the Deputy Premier. What new approaches have been developed to specifically assist women without children who suffer domestic assault and violence? Mr. Snelgrove: I think, Mr. Speaker, that it would be fair to say that Treasury Board doesn t get into the interministerial stuff. I will say that there is a sexual assault shelter in Lloydminster that I am very familiar with. I know that they have been working with the minister, with the department. The circumstances around so many are changing because there are so many different family stresses or situations. I don t have any specific response for her. She might be able to reappropriate her question to them, but I can tell you that we are very aware of the importance in our communities of these centres. The Speaker: The hon. member. Ms Blakeman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Solicitor General. Victims of domestic assault are victims of crime. So given that the victims of crime fund has amassed a considerable surplus in the range of $40 million, which continues to grow, what new programs for the prevention of domestic assault and violence have been piloted or funded through this mountain of money? Mr. Lindsay: Well, Mr. Speaker, I don t have the specifics on any particular program, but I will say that we have increased funding substantially over the last couple of years to victims of violence, including victims of family violence, so we are doing what we can. Ms Blakeman: You fund $4 million a year and with a $40 million surplus.

9 November 25, 2009 Alberta Hansard 2039 To the President of the Treasury Board. As politicians we have utterly failed to deliver on promises to reduce child poverty and domestic assault. I ll remind everyone that children are not Cabbage Patch dolls. Poor children come from poor families. If they are single-parent families, 80 per cent of them will be headed by women. With all the resources that Alberta has compared to other provinces, why are we not leaders in these areas? Mr. Snelgrove: Mr. Speaker, it s really unfair to suggest that we re not leaders in caring for those in Alberta that are vulnerable. Not only on the issue that the hon. member brings up, we have probably, well, some of the biggest support programs, departments in the country. We fund the social aspect of vulnerable Albertans far in excess of any other province in this country. So to pick out a specific program and say, There, you re not quite giving them as much as I d like; therefore, you don t care about women and children in those areas is just unfair, and it s not true. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Airdrie-Chestermere, followed by the hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity. Heritage Savings Trust Fund Mr. Anderson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 1976 Premier Peter Lougheed created the Alberta heritage fund. In this very room he eloquently asked this question: Are we prepared as a province to put aside substantial sums of current revenues from the sale of non-replaceable... oil production for the sake of our children and for our grandchildren and not make it available for current revenue needs; to use it for that day when... the wells may have [run] dry? My question is to the Minister of Finance and Enterprise. What is this government s plan to grow the heritage fund sufficient to replace our province s reliance on nonrenewable resources for our children and grandchildren? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Evans: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The vision created by then Premier Lougheed continues in the kinds of work we ve done today. At the end of the first quarter the heritage fund, which is our strongest savings portfolio, had grown to over $14 billion. There was $7 billion over the last four and a half years that had been saved and put into endowments and other kinds of savings funds and $17 billion that were put in the sustainability fund, in part last year reflecting a need for more short-term savings. But over the longer term we can count on moving past inflation-proofing in the good years to actually salting away more dollars into the heritage fund for the future of our children and grandchildren. Mr. Anderson: That s good to hear. Over the course of the heritage fund s history $30.9 billion in heritage fund earnings have been transferred to the province s general revenue account. Conversely, deposits into the heritage fund from general revenue over that period have only been $16 billion, leaving a net withdrawal from the fund of $14.9 billion. To the minister: after we are out of deficit, is this government committed to leaving annual interest earnings from the heritage fund in the heritage fund for the benefit of future generations? The Speaker: The hon. minister. Ms Evans: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I add to the response I gave previously that in the last four and a half years the amount of money that we have provided has been the equivalent of 48 per cent of the resource revenues that have been accrued by the province, so we are moving in that regard. Mr. Speaker, I d like to just point out that the general revenue fund today is having the benefit of the interest accruals. That s true. But over the future, as we get back into a position of sustainability and once we have paid down this current deficit, we will return to the original premise of providing more dollars for the heritage fund from resource revenues. Mr. Anderson: Since Alberta became debt free in 2004, nonrenewable resource revenue to the end of 2008 has amounted to $47 billion. In that same time period, however, only $3.9 billion of that $47 billion in revenues was invested in the heritage fund. To the minister: now that debt in Alberta is no longer a serious problem, after we are out of deficit, will this government commit to substantially increasing the amount of resource revenues directly invested in the heritage fund? Ms Evans: Clearly, Mr. Speaker, that is the fond hope of everybody in this Assembly. I d like to point out that when we have hit the deficit situation, the authors of the FIPAC report, headed by Jack Mintz, support what we re currently doing, which is paying off the sustainability fund once we are at a position to turn around before we go back and put the money into the heritage fund. I don t think there s anybody in here that is more dedicated to providing those savings for the future than our Premier. Unfortunately, today we find ourselves in a situation of planning ahead rather than acknowledging our ability to do it in the present. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Varsity, followed by the hon. Member for Edmonton-Strathcona. Contracted Children s Services Agencies Mr. Chase: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Bill 209, Children s Services Review Committee Act, which did not receive debate this session, was intended to review systemic issues that contracted agencies under Children and Youth Services face with the objective of correcting the identified imbalances. When it comes to social services delivery, contracted service providers are treated by this government as second-class citizens despite their front-line, equally emergent roles. High staff turnovers result in detrimentally fragmented support for the most vulnerable. To the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports: given that your ministry has similar issues with regard to contracted agencies, does the minister recognize an unfair imbalance in compensation between those employed by the government and those employed by agencies? 2:20 Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, if you look at the history of our agencies and of our institutions that we no longer want to continue into the future, you ll see that we started off by looking after all of our people with disabilities in certain areas. It became very clear that the best possible outcomes for our persons with disabilities were by living in their own communities. People stepped forward and became agencies to say: we want to look after our people with disabilities in our own communities, so let us do that. That s kind of the history of our contracted agencies. We have admitted that there is a gap between what s being paid in the older type care that we re giving to some of our PDD clients and the agencies that now look after in most cases our PDD clients. There is a gap. We have been trying to close that gap, and we are still working towards that goal.